Avery Brown Renfro

The Names I Carry. Brown from my mother’s family. Renfro from my father’s family. Two artists, one remarkable connection, and a legacy I was called to carry forward. Standing beside my story inside the exhibition is a moment I will never take for granted. I am the granddaughter, the great niece, the researcher, and now the curator entrusted with bringing Professor Leon Renfro and Bruce Brown’s art back into the light. This is more than an exhibition. It is proof that our family stories are...

Last week, I had the honor of being invited to speak with Dr. Alvia J. Wardlaw’s Museum Studies class about Brown Renfro: The Professor. The Student. The Curator. and my experience bringing this exhibition to life as its curator. Standing inside the exhibition and sharing the story of my grandfather, Professor Leon Renfro, his student Bruce Brown, and the research and responsibility behind carrying their artistic legacies forward was a full-circle moment for me. Dr. Wardlaw is one of the...